Embodiments of the disclosure relate generally to methods and systems for collaborative information searching and more particularly, to methods and systems for task-based searching for similar information requests.
At least some known search tasks are diverse in that each request is limited in its relation to previous searches performed. Other known searches occur with regularity, for example, customer support engineers frequently receive service requests from customers regarding similar problems or requests for information that pertain to largely the same group of products or systems, namely the products and/or systems acquired from the same manufacturer. Because such products and systems may be large and complex, customers seek assistance from the manufacturer for information. Service requests from customers tend to be similar, therefore the search queries made by support engineers tend to be similar to search queries made previously by the support engineer or other support engineers receiving a similar service request. Support engineer tasks include searching a wide variety of data sources, different information repositories, and past solutions to answer customer requests. The user search model of, for example, support engineers necessitates a new search support method that makes the search more efficient.
Some known search engines provide users an ability to view previous search histories, but this does not provide users an ability to view the searches for each individual task, the conclusion and the information collected in the search task, and view the searches other users performed for similar tasks. Other known search engines provide a tagging functionality such that users can tag a document with their own comments and share with others. But users have to spend time tagging documents and the comments add more information to the search result documents that users need to evaluate and analyze. Still other messaging systems permit subsequent users to see previous service request messages and replies not the search criteria for searches performed to locate the responsive information.
Support engineer search activities focus on each incoming service request. Standard search tools are inconvenient to use fulfilling a service request and when the engine attempts to review the searches that were performed for a similar previous service request and the documents that were found to be useful in the previous search results. Searches that were performed by other engineers for the similar service requests are also important for efficient searching and training less experienced engineers.
What are needed are methods and systems for search support that can make searches more efficient for responding to requests for information by using knowledge of previous searches and searches by other users responding to similar requests.